Technical Field
The present invention relates to an object detection apparatus for detecting an object around a vehicle carrying the apparatus.
Related Art
Conventionally, a known object detection apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-89077, includes at least one ranging sensor, such as an ultrasonic sensor or the like, mounted in a vehicle to detect an object, such as a pedestrian, an obstacle or the like, around the vehicle, and based on detection results, performs various types of control, such as actuation of a braking device and notification to a driver, for improving vehicle driving safety.
The object detection apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-89077 includes a plurality of ranging sensors mounted in the vehicle to calculate a widthwise position of the object based on the principle of triangulation, where the widthwise position of the object refers to a position of the object in a widthwise or cross vehicle direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the vehicle. If the widthwise position of the object is within the vehicle width, it is determined that the object has been detected. If the widthwise position of the object is not within the vehicle width, it is determined that the object has not been detected. Performing such a determination process can prevent erroneously detecting an object that is actually less likely to contact the vehicle as an object that is likely to contact the vehicle.
When an object is detected using the ranging sensors, reflections of ultrasound waves of the ranging sensors may vary with object shapes and environments around the vehicle. Variations of the reflections may cause variations in detected position of the object. Therefore, despite that actually the same object has been detected, it may be determined that another object has been detected, or despite that actually another object (than the object of interest) has been detected, it may be determined that the same object has been detected. There is concern that such incorrect determinations may cause intervention of control for improving the vehicle driving safety to be permitted despite that the intervention of such control being unnecessary, or to be missed despite the intervention of such control being necessary.
In consideration of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing an object detection apparatus capable of avoiding determining the identity of an object based on incorrect position information.